Road Back Home
by crux-sacro
Summary: Reincarnation fic. Together they trod the snowy path.Disclaimer:Bleach belongs to Kubo Tite.


**Disclaimer: Bleach and its characters belong to Kubo Tite**

Road Back Home

Although it was but a late afternoon, the streets of Tokyo lit with bright lights of green, lemon-yellow, and red. The premature Christmas ornaments hit against each other and made bell-chimes from the cold wind sweeping across the street. The day was getting dark although Hisana knew it was no later than five o'clock in the afternoon. She winced as the cold wind brushed on her exposed neck. She wrapped the wool scarf tighter around her neck, all the while knowing that it was a futile attempt. The dull brown, Salvation Army scarf was full of holes and frayed from too much use. Hisana wrapped the scarf with her small, frozen fingers with difficulty. She just washed her hand with cold water and had just wiped her hand hastily on the hem of her winter coat. The tissue dispenser was out of paper and only cold water was available in the museum restroom. Hisana winced again when she came in contact with cold metal handle of the restroom door. She quickly joined the group on the outdoor garden of the museum and jogged towards the group having lunch.

She barely made it to the two neat rows of children. She quickly lined behind the last one, hoping she wouldn't be noticed but was yanked out by a female teacher. The teacher angrily pointed at the plastic wraps and an empty bottle of juice lying on the bench. Hisana turned scarlet. She hurried towards the spot she left her trash, quickly gathered them in two scoops and disposed them to the nearest trashcan she can find. The tapping of the annoyed teacher's foot echoed through the dead-quietness of the garden. She scurried back to her place, shrunken from the cold and the reproachful glances other children threw at her. The two lines exited the museum through the garden gate with sluggish, machine-like precision.

Outside, snow was dancing in the wind and illuminated now completely darkened sky. Byakuya thought the sky looked darker due to the overly bright streets. Everywhere he turned was lit with startlingly bright electricity lights and holiday ornaments. The bells and painted globes on plastic green wreaths jingled shrilly as people swept by. Most of them walked with armful of presents and were snug in thick coats with heavy scarves to bury their noses. All of them were happy and full of smiles.

Kuchiki Byakuya wasn't. It wasn't that he was especially lonely or disconcerted or stressed; he just was not the type of person to let his mood swing for no apparent reason. He was standing on the snow-ridden pavements to deal with some unfinished business that requested his attention as the captain of Gotei 13. He was only glad the problem was trivial. He scowled, though, of the time he was wasting on the real world as he eyed wearily at the strangers gaily striding by. He noted that people looked like a strange assortment of cookies with sugar powder sprinkled only on their hats.

Hisana slipped on the hard, frozen pavement. She knew she shouldn't have run but there was no other way to keep the pace with the other kids who were doing their best scurrying after the teacher. After throwing an annoyed glare at the cowering girl, the teacher impatiently tossed her head and tapped her foot. "My god, what could be wrong with that child," She muttered loudly. "You two," the teacher pointed at the children. "Go help her. Quickly!" Instantly two children at the very end trotted back and yanked Hisana by the arms. "Come on," one of the children whispered nervously, "You can't just lie here. Ms. Uchida's gonna yell," They almost roughly pulled her up and hurried back to their places. She had barely stood up and brushed the grey snow on her coat when the teacher yelled at the herd of children again. "All of you move on! The bus is waiting!"

Ms. Uchida's shrill voice always made the hairs on her neck stood up. The frightened children jogged faster than before. The little kids were faltering behind, unable to jog as fast as demanded, but no one cared enough to usher them safely back to the now disarrayed rows. Every child, even the older ones, feared Ms. Uchida and the beating she would love to give on any given chance. Square-jawed and rod-thin, Ms. Uchida loomed over the children like a ghostly, especially menacing spider ready to grab hold of a child's arm and rip it out of its socket. Her lanky, bony fingers only added to the intense repulsion and fear the children felt whenever she clutched them by their shoulders. She especially disliked those who were timid and tiny.

Hisana was both.

When she was younger, Hisana vainly hoped that if she adhered every word Ms. Uchida barked out in her raspy voice, she wouldn't be punished as much; maybe not favored, but at least less hurt. With passing years her flimsy hope evaporated and replaced with cold, thick wall built around her heart to shield her from any more pain. Trotting as fast as her short legs could manage, she only hoped Ms. Uchida would be too tired to seriously discipline her by the time they returned to the orphanage.

Byakuya idly gazed on the little million light bulbs twinkling with brighter and brighter intensity as he observed the darkening sky through the window of a café. He sipped his tea silently while he waited for his companion to return from the bathroom. He gave up on trying drinking the lukewarm tea when the solicitor came back. He was a middle-aged, nervous man whose jerky movement only seemed to intensify with every minute he had to sit within close proximity to Byakuya. The man couldn't hide the look of relief the broke his visage when the matter was closed and sealed within an hour with parting bows (in Byakuya's case, a curt nod). Cold wind slammed into his face and instantly chilled him when he stepped out of the warmth of the café. The loud horning from the cars on traffic on the road and crunch-crunching footsteps harangued at his senses. He soon vanished with the trail of footsteps on the freshly fallen snow.

Hisana slipped again, and hard. She fell flat against the ground, and bumped on the exact place she had bruised few hours ago. She inhaled sharply; the breath froze before her in cold fog. She vainly struggled to get up, but she couldn't. It turned out she also sprained her ankle. It was already very late, later than the time appointed for them to return to the bus. Ms. Uchida couldn't afford to look out for the rear end; she was too occupied in steering the group against the great tide of excited crowd. The ice-covered road was too slippery for her to get up. Wait for me!...her croak dispersed into thin air. Gaping like a fish, she hopelessly watched the rows of children vanishing into the great throng of crowd.

She gave up the idea of catching up with her group after she fell flat again on her ankle. She slowly, painfully made her way towards the same direction instead, all the while hoping that the group would, miraculously, realize that she was missing and will wait for her. The sprained ankle was a terrible setback. She dragged the hindrance with all her willpower, but it was too much for an eight year old could bear. Hisana looked about her surrounding; her confusion soon turned into sheer terror as she realized she doesn't know where her group went. Fresh snow and people's footsteps had already covered the track they left behind as soon as the children had made them. Hisana's doe-eyes darted to everywhere in fear as she scuttled in all direction among the unfamiliar landscape of people-forest. When she fell for the third time, she didn't get up as she had done previous times; she stayed on the cold, wet ground. Tears trickled down her cheek in defeat. She hurriedly wiped them and blinked rapidly to keep the remaining tears from falling. It was an instantaneous reaction, a second-nature ingrained to her by the life at the orphanage. Tears never helped anything, and sometimes have only made the situation worse. She sniffled a little, and carefully got up so she wouldn't fall again. Tears wouldn't do you any good, Hisana thought; that's right, Hisana, you can take care of yourself. She wiped her nose and dusted snow from her bottom. She momentarily contemplated what to do. "I'll just ask around." She thought aloud.

Kuchiki Byakuya waited for the light to change so he could cross. He would have preferred to use shunpo anytime but his engraved sense of propriety prevented him from his swallowing the soul candy and retiring for the night. A car, late for the signal, sped by and people muttered complaints for being held back. Byakuya, one of the people in the forefront, was temporarily blinded by the electrifying yellow-white flashlight. He closed his eyes to rid of the blinding flash. His eyelids fluttered open when, all of a sudden, something pulled the hem of his coat. After regaining his balance, he cast a cold glare to the person who was now on the ground. She continued to sit on the spot she landed, staring dumbly at him. She breathed thick foams as if she had been walking at a very fast pace. Her rosy cheeks turned redder as realization sank slowly into her. She scampered on her feet, trying to get up, but kept on slipping onto the ground. Now she buried her face so she wouldn't have to see the man looming over her. Even her ears that poked out from soft strands of her were beet-red.

Hisana transformed herself into a tight encasement of a ball. She was waiting, waiting in the darkness for the man to just curse and go away. A flash of image entered within her mind that she tried so hard to forget. The snow rained from the sky on that night, maybe a bit colder. Ms. Uchida always muttered she was beyond hope, and Hisana sometimes wondered if her mother thought that way also. If she hadn't then wouldn't her mother have left her in the orphanage? Their wandering halted when they reached a gloomy building that looked like a school. Hisana clutched at Mother's side tighter, but she removed her forcibly and spurned around to the other direction. Hisana cried out, panicked, but Mother reprimanded her to stay there as Mother staggered out of sight and out of her life. She was looking for a place to stay overnight, so stay there until she comes back. It was only natural she expected the same out of the others.

Hisana jerked her head up, confused, when she felt a big, warm hand hoisted her up by her shoulder. She staggered forward and grasped at the man's coat-front for support. She grimaced in pain at the pain in her left ankle. Oh, no, she thought, how am I supposed to walk all the way to the orphanage?

"Are you okay?" The man asked again in an emotionless tone. "Um…I think I sprained my ankle…" She murmured weakly and as she limped away from him. At that moment she lost her balance again and if Byakuya hadn't caught her in time, she would have fallen again. "It seems like you are unable to walk and I will have to take you to your parents."—he paused, as if he was considering—"Where do you live?" He spoke slowly all the while holding her against him. Hisana's face turned red again. "Oh, thank you sir, but you don't have to. I, um, live in an orphanage."

"…I see." The snow was pouring down in heaps now. The girl sneezed. He could feel her tremble like dry leaves on the tree branch.

"How do you plan to go back to your…shelter?" He thought aloud, and as a response Hisana lifted her wrist to show the thin plastic band around. Happy Place Orphanage, it read and under the letters the address and phone number were written in miniscule penmanship. "For now, allow me to take you back to the orphanage," Byakuya extended his hand and grasped hers. Gradually she ceased to move about restlessly. She felt warmth emanating from him and she shifted unconsciously towards him. He slowed down to match her pace and strode into the nearest shop he could find.

They entered the inviting warmth of Seven-Eleven. No one was there save a man in his mid-twenties at the counter. Byakuya bought her a sweet bun on the display rack that was next to the counter. It was well past dinner time and Kuchiki Byakuya was not the man to ignore a child's growling stomach. He poured himself a cup of strong coffee.

"It's okay. I'm not hungry," she protested indignantly despite a growling stomach. She defiantly lifted her chin at the bun the man, smile, at the counter handed to her.

Byakyua ignored her and paid for the bun and the cup of coffee. Hisana tittered over to him and placed the bun on the countertop, near him.

"I won't have it. It's yours."

"Very well, Then I may as well dispose it if you won't take it." Byakuya motioned near the trash bin; Hisana gasped.

"That's waste of food!"

"I paid it." The bun set on his outstretched hand

Hisana pouted and nearly snatched the bun out of his hand. Then, very slowly, she began to chew the end of the bun. Byakuya struggled to hide the corner of his mouth twitching upward.

"Is it good?" He asked nonchalantly. Hisana didn't answer; she was too busy eating the bun.

"Good." He sipped his coffee again. He continued to observe her and bought her a cup of warm milk when she nearly choked on the bun from eating too fast. His eyes gleamed with satisfaction when she accepted the cup without protest. He observed her as she, with the cup in one hand, sauntered the aisle full of chips and packaged goods. His eyes trailed her back as Hisana retreated into the bathroom. The now half-full cup was growing cold in his hand. The man was now wiping the counter to retire for the night. He glanced at Byakuya and at the bathroom door as he wiped sweat beading on his forehead; the heater was set on high.

"She's a cute one. She yours?"

He continued to gaze at the closed door; stood before him was the door that his past was locked within. He now had a choice of leaving it behind and never returning.

Doesn't he know the answer already?

"Yes."

Just then Hisana emerged from the bathroom, wiping her hands on the hem of the coat; the hand tissues were all out. He held her hand, so he could keep it warm, and together they exited into the cold and snow. Outside, the wind buffeted them with snow. Hisana had hard time keeping her eyes open from the whipping snow slashing across her face. She clung closely to Byakuya and hid her face on his coat as they moved on a sluggish pace.

The snow continued to fall and now crept to their ankles. Byakuya was now dragging Hisana across the road. The girl's head bobbed with each stumbling step as she was sleep-walking. She bumped onto him and slipped onto the ground. She clutched on the ankle Byakuya knelt beside her to examine the ankle. Her ankle was red and swollen; it was clear she could was no further. Hisana fidgeted anxiously as Byakuya sighed.

"Here; climb on my back." Hisana blinked in astonishment when Byakuya turned slowly around.

"Wha-what? No, I can walk…" She whispered through chattering teeth and tried to lift herself up.

"Nonsense. It is obvious you can't walk with that leg. Surely you wish to return to the shelter you can rest soon?"

In the end, Hisana clambered up Byakuya's back.

It crushed him to feel the outrageously weightless body wrapped in a thin, hand-me-down coat. He could acutely hear the beating heart, frantic and quick life a restless bird flapping within the wall of her ribcage. The too-big coat hung limply over her bony frame. It took nearly all of his control not to show his rage at the wretched state Hisana was in. Malnourished, sickly, and tired—at least her situation should have improved from her life in Inuzuri. That was when he noticed that her squirming has stopped and has fallen asleep. Under the moonlight only the crunch of his footstep and slow breathing , regular were heard.

Hisana was vaguely aware of the looming light upon her closed eyelid. She shifted and rubbed her eyes, trying to make sense of where she was and why exactly her bed was moving. She soon gave up her struggle, though, as the slow rhythmic movement and the warmth of the man's back lulled her back into sleep.

She awoke again when the slow movement jerked to a halt. With difficulty she lifted her eyelids and blinked to adjust the pale dusk-light in her eyes. Slowly the familiar barred gate and monolith of the building came into her view. Byakuya had stopped to press the button at the stone wall. Hisana squirmed in embarrassment and succeeded in getting down from her back. She couldn't believe she had the nerve to fell asleep on a stranger's back! She limped away from him and leaned on the stone wall. She looked up at him with guilt at his tired face, pale in the dusk. He had walked all night carrying her on the back. Byakuya opened his mouth to speak, but at that moment his phone beeped. Slowly, he checked the phone; Hollow alarm, and near here.

"I must go, but Ms. Uchida, the one I contacted, will be here soon."

Suddenly Hisana stumbled forward to give a shocked Byakuya a hug. "Thank you for bringing me back. And—" She hesitated for a long time before murmuring, her chin tucked too deeply in the folds of the wool scarf for him to comprehend. Byakuya leaned in closer to hear it. "Will you—will you come to visit me?" She hurriedly added. "Just, sometimes, when you are free?"

He tried to speak, but no voice came out. Quietly, he wiped the snow on her head with shaking hand and gently held her gaze so they were staring at each other at even level. A brilliant shock of violet that shyly peered from the scarf reflected against the pair of steel grey eyes. He smiled with effort.

"Anything for you." The voice came out as a hoarse whisper.

"Anything."

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><p><strong>Dear Reviewers. Thank you all so much for your generous reviews! I'm sorry I couldn't reply you in due time, but thank you nevertheless. <strong>


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